African Player Of The Year

 

African Player Of The Year

1st  Chérif Souleymane (Guinea) Hafia 21

2nd  Bwanga Tshimen (Zaire) TP Mazembe 16

3rd  Petit Sory (Guinea) Hafia 14

Cherif Souleymane, born in 1944, started his playing career at 17, when he stadied in DDR to become a plumber. Switched to studying architecture, because it was easier to play football that way – as he revealed years later. So, very unusually for the time, he started playing in Europe and in East Germany at that: first for TSG Neustrelitz (1961-62) and later for SC Neubrandenburg (1962-65) in the Second Division of DDR. In 1965 he returned to Guinea and joined Hafia, than named Conacry II, and stayed with them to the end of his playing days in 1980. He was national team player for Guinea since 1965 and, so far, is the only Guinean voted African Player of the Year. Considering the success of Hafia and his contribution to it – well deserved award.